GMO labeling on agenda for Natural Products Expo West

Boulder-run trade show expected to address controversial topic

The annual Natural Products Expo West trade show in Anaheim, Calif., can be a Super Bowl-like event for enterprising startups and well-established industry giants alike.

The natural and organic products industry's largest trade show — which attracts upward of 60,000 attendees — can be a launching pad for new products, an avenue for businesses to expand their distribution, and a breeding ground for food and consumer product trends.

And as natural and organic products have grown from a cottage segment to mainstream prevalence, Expo West's role has enhanced.

The event is big business for Boulder County. The show is produced by Boulder's New Hope Natural media and more than 70 companies from the natural products-friendly Boulder region will exhibit at the show.

But this year's Expo West, taking place Thursday through Sunday, also could play a role in advancing the broadening debate on genetically modified organisms and whether products that contain genetically engineered ingredients should carry disclosure labels.

Some of the largest players in the natural and organic products industry are expected to lead conference panels on the topics of GMOs and GMO labeling. Expo West could serve as a platform for a broader industry consensus on GMO labeling and could fuel momentum for policy pushes, show organizers and attendees say.

"It's been an issue for a long time, but it feels like it's reaching a 2.0 situation," said Fred Linder, president of New Hope Natural Media, the Boulder-based firm that also produces Expo West's sister show Natural Products Expo East.

"Where that's going to go? I'm not sure."

In 2012, sales in the natural and organic products industry climbed 10 percent to hit the $99 billion mark, according to data from the Natural Foods Merchandiser and Nutrition Business Journal, which are publications of New Hope.

The 2013 data will not be available until June, but preliminary reports peg the growth at 5 percent to 6 percent, Linder said.

"It's still pretty healthy growth," he said. "And a lot of that, I think, is adoption on the mainstream level."

Amador Zamora puts honey containers on the conveyor belt for labeling at Madhava Natural Sweeteners in Longmont. The company is one of many from Boulder County that will be exhibiting at the Natural Products Expo West trade show in Anaheim, Calif., this week. For more photos a video, visit dailycamera.com. (Cliff Grassmick / Daily Camera)

Helping drive those gains are a growing, national focus on health and wellness; a shrinking in the price gap between natural, organic and conventional products; recent food scares; and a growing base of consumers from the millennial generation, according to Natural Food Merchandiser's Market Overview released June 2013.

Those trends have resulted in conventional, multinational brands entering the natural and organic space via acquisition or through measures of their own, said Adam Anderson, group show director at New Hope.

"They're driven by health and wellness (trends), cutting sugar and salt ... those are decisions that are definitely pushed by consumers," Anderson said.

Potential for consensus on GMOs

One such movement occurring now is related to GMOs, he said.

Several sessions at Expo West will cover the topic of GMOs, labeling and how the issue might affect retailers, manufacturers and nonprofit groups, he said.

"I think there are just more chances to get more voices heard and get everybody together," Anderson said. "We're really pleased to provide that platform."

The discussions at Expo West could have the potential to result in industry consensus on GMO labeling, he said.

The groundswell of support for industry standards related to GMO labeling then could spill over into policy, said John McHugh, co-founder and chief executive officer of The Naked Edge LLC, a Boulder-based company that makes organic Veggie-Go's fruit chew snacks.

"Washington (state) came really close this past election ... California is close — if it doesn't happen this time, I think it will soon," McHugh said. "Once it happens in one, it's going to really snowball from there."

The conference and panels taking place on the top floors of the Anaheim Convention Center could result in significant policy-related debates, but the bulk of the natural and organic industry's business will be conducted in the exhibit halls below.

This week's trade show is expected to be the largest Expo West to date. Organizers are expecting more than 63,000 attendees and are projecting that the exhibitor count will grow by 200 to 2,628 companies, Anderson said.

John McHugh, co-owner of Boulder's Naked Edge, dismantles the company's display counter while packing for his trip to the Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, Calif., this week. (Mark Leffingwell / Daily Camera)

In addition to the physical expansion of the trade show within the convention center, Expo West organizers added a new element called the Next Innovation Summit.

Expo West should continue to serve as a hotbed for new products and innovation, but recent shows and this year's show should exhibit an ongoing manifestation of the event and the industry itself, Linder said.

"I don't think there is a food industry that is not involved in healthy (products)," he said. "I think there has been in the past. I think that's a major change.

"It's pretty blended at this point, and I think that's going to bring about some major changes and, hopefully, the changes to focus on are more access to better food."

Offering healthier products to 'all types of families'

When Jennifer Bacon and her husband, Dave, started a company that makes protein pancake mixes, their intention was to create a healthier product for families on the go.

The initial target for the Bacons' JaceyCakes LLC and their Flapjacked pancake mixes was the Whole Foods customer and the natural grocery channel. While Flapjacked went through the audit process for Whole Foods, a door opened for King Soopers, and the Bacons seized the opportunity.

"We just found that there was such great potential in bringing healthier products (to the conventional channel); why not offer healthier products to all types of families?" Jennifer Bacon said. "We're finding there's a lot of potential in both ways."

The Flapjacked mixes are now in about 1,300 stores, mostly King Soopers in Colorado, the Kroger Co.-run Ralphs brand in California, and REI. The product should launch in Whole Foods shortly, she said.

JaceyCakes is a first-time exhibitor at Expo West.

This will be the second go-round for John McHugh's Naked Edge. The show this year, he said, could result in an even bigger boon for the business.

"This year we expect to be even better," he said. "Now, we have distribution nationwide. A lot of the stores love the product."

In addition to serving as an arena to build connections and expand a product's reach, Expo West is a prime locale for launches, exhibitors say.

Finding a 'captive audience'

Boulder-based Quinn Popcorn, a maker of natural and organic microwave popcorn, plans to launch its ready-to-eat line at Expo West. Additionally, the company is touting its "Farm to Bag" seal in which consumers can type the badge number online to see both the supply chain and the farms that provided the ingredients.

"It's 100 percent transparency on our end," said Kristy Lewis, CEO and co-founder of Quinn Popcorn. "It's pretty complex; it's pretty different for this industry, but we feel really strongly about this."

Longmont-based Madhava Natural Sweeteners not only will be showcasing its continued expansion across several categories, it also will be re-launching its original Madhava Mountain Gold Honey, said Victoria Hartman, executive vice president of the company that provides a variety of natural and organic sweeteners and products such as pancake mixes.

"You have an opportunity to have a captive audience," she said.

Last year, Madhava launched a line of pancake and bake mixes made with agave. This year, the company will launch Agave Five, a five-calorie drink mix made with organic agave and stevia.

"People are finally reading labels and they're aware of how much sugar is in the products they consume," she said. " ... What we say is, 'Look, there's nothing wrong with adding a little sweetener. Just make sure that it's the best possible sweetener you can.'"

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